Why did Emma Watson lose her license? Harry Potter star looks back on her six-month driving ban  

Emma Watson has opened up about her six-month ban from driving.

The Harry Potter actress was reportedly stripped of her driving privileges for six months in July this year in Britain. The Los Angeles Times has reported that it was because she racked up over a dozen points on her driving record in the last two years.

She also reportedly had to shell out over $1,400 in fines and skipped out on the hearing at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court. However, in the past, she pleaded guilty to her offenses via mail. In connection with offenses dated October 2023, November 2023, and January 2024, the actress had 9 points on her record, per the BBC.

Emma Watson explains why she didn't have driving "experience or skills": Read more

The BBC also reported in July last year that at the time, Emma Watson was driving her Audi at 38mph in a 30mph zone in Oxford. The actress's lawyer, Mark Haslam, attended the five-minute hearing on her behalf. He informed the court that Watson, who is currently a student, is "in a position to pay the fine."

The BBC has also reported that the Beauty and the Beast actress has been studying for a master's degree in creative writing at the University of Oxford since 2023.

During her recent appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, she admitted that she has since pivoted her efforts to riding a bicycle:

"I recently started riding a bicycle. Yes, I started riding a bicycle before my driving ban, but now it's particularly fortuitous that I also ride a bicycle for that reason," she quipped.

Emma Watson admitted that the news of her driving suspension gained far more traction than she expected:

"I was getting phone calls. Like, it's on the BBC, it was on international, worldwide news! I was like, 'My shame....' It is everywhere," she told Shetty. She said she got "so many messages" from those who went through a similar ordeal, adding: "When you worked on movies — I don't know if people know this — they literally will not insure you to drive yourself to work. I've asked so many times. You have to be driven. It's not a choice."

She also said that she was only allowed to drive on weekends or holidays while filming, which has since changed now that she's a student.

"I did not have the experience or skills, clearly, which I now will and do," she admitted.

Emma Watson, who has been on a seven-year hiatus from acting, last starred in Greta Gerwig's 2019 film adaptation of Little Women. She has since graduated from Brown University and continued her work as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. Her work with the HeForShe campaign is also ongoing as she dabbles with several fashion and environmental causes.

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